


Deciduous

by relic_amaranth



Series: Happy Steve Bingo 2018 [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 07:12:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16529873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/relic_amaranth/pseuds/relic_amaranth
Summary: Steve Rogers is well-versed in coming back. Thankfully, he’s not the only one, and they won't let him forget it.





	Deciduous

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Happy Steve Bingo fill for “Deciduous/Falling Leaves"
> 
> Warnings: Steve moping and being dramatic, uh…a threat of aggressive cuddling?, fluff. It’s all fluff.
> 
> A/N: I’m not sure how my idea for ‘falling leaves/falling Steve’ turned into this but I’m not complaining; I am all about fluff and cuddles. Anywho; watch as I race to complete Happy Steve Bingo in the next few weeks. I actually have a few Steve Rogers things to come after, but I’mma try to break it up as I go. I just love Steve and want him to get all the hugs/love. Which reminds me– please mind the pairing (‘pairing,’ I guess). If it isn’t your thing then that’s okay; there will be other stories :)

  


It wasn’t as early as Steve liked it, but heavy cloud cover kept everything dark and the chill was biting.

_It sinks into his skin, through it, freezing muscle and chipping at his bones as the water keeps coming._

People were rushing to get out of the inhospitable weather as the wind began to kick up. It made everything colder, but. Well. Steve had had worse.

_Nothing matters. Steve almost wishes Rumlow would just pull the trigger, because this is almost the worst it can be._

_Bucky is Hydra’s secret weapon._

_He’s alive._

_He survived the fall._

_And Steve left him._

**_Left_ ** _. **Him**._

_Now Natasha is bleeding out and Sam is under the same death sentence they all are and Fury is already dead, killed by– Bucky. Bucky._

_The Winter Soldier. Murdering Hydra’s targets for decades._

_Bucky._

_Steve has never felt colder._

A leaf crunching loudly underfoot wrenched Steve out of his thoughts so violently that he stumbled, slowed, and stopped. The wind picked up again, blowing a pile of dead brown leaves past him. He stood there for a moment as they flew; one of them stiff and brittle and sliding past the skin of his arm before it fell and tumbled away.

Steve took a few deep breaths and started again. Slower, but it didn’t really matter. He knew he couldn’t actually outrun his thoughts.

Didn’t stop him from trying, though.

“On your right!”

Steve blinked and Sam blasted right past him, close enough to reach out and knock him, but he didn’t.

Then Bucky ran past his other side and _did_ bump into him hard enough to knock him off-course, and smirked back at him as he went.

Steve didn’t get a chance to turn back onto the path before two curt female voices said, “Behind,” and he was _shoved_ and sent forward. He ducked and rolled, but still ended up sprawled on his back in the cold grass.

Like daisies, those four popped into his field of vision, looking down at him. Sharon was frowning, Natasha looked impassive, Sam was shaking his head, and Bucky just smirked.

 _‘Yeah– a handful,’_ Steve thought with fondness just slightly more than his annoyance. Slightly. “What was that for?”

“We told you we’d beat you up if we caught you moping again this week,” Sharon said, hands on her hips.

“Considering the skill level of this group? You got off easy, Rogers,” Natasha said.

“I wasn’t moping,” Steve said. “I was running.”

“Moping while running,” Bucky said. All of them looked equally unimpressed and unconvinced.

“You know that running from your problems is supposed to be a metaphor, right?” Sam asked but held his hand out and helped Steve to his feet.

“I know. I don’t– I don’t have problems,” Steve insisted, though it was half-hearted.

“We all have problems,” Natasha said.

“Number one being–” Bucky slid his arm behind Steve, “–this terrible fucking weather.”

“This is ‘sit at home in PJs and drink hot chocolate’ weather,” Sam agreed and put his arm behind Steve from his other side.

“Look at these touchy-feely boys,” Natasha mocked.

Bucky looked at her and snorted. “Like you’re not gonna pounce on him as soon as we get home.”

“It’s very hard to mope when you’re being cuddled to an inch of your life,” Natasha said with utmost seriousness. “You will be happy Rogers. Or _else_ ,” was said in the same tone she would use to threaten to cut someone’s fingers off, but Sam laughed and Steve had to duck to hide his forming smile. Morbid, perhaps, but it was hard to go through everything this group had gone through and come out _normal_.

If there was such a thing to begin with, and if it was as great as everyone tried to make themselves believe it was. Tucked between Sam and Bucky, with Natasha and Sharon leading in front, Steve realized he could barely feel the cold anymore.

“Well, I guess you do have problems,” Sam said. He winked. “Three of them.”

Steve did smile at that. A little, but it was enough. “Those are good problems to have. All four of them.”

Sam mocked offense with his expression, but Bucky made a verbal sound of agreement and pressed in closer. Steve put his arms out and around Sam and Bucky, holding them like they did him. He did his best not to let his thoughts wander on the way home, and then when they got there those four didn’t let him lapse. The couches were moved back, blankets and pillows were set out on the floor, and as soon as Steve sat down he was beset on all sides. Bucky draped over his back, Sam and Sharon took up either side, and Natasha fit herself right in between his legs, pressing her back securely against him.

One by one they all drifted off, until Steve was the only one awake. He looked out the window as the storm picked up and, in contrast, felt his mind go quiet. Out there was a raging wind and dead leaves becoming mulch under the steadily growing rain. In here the TV chattered lowly in the background, the lights were constant and bright, and he was surrounded by four steady heartbeats and the bodies they belonged to.

Steve breathed, and felt warm.


End file.
